Modern Vespa

My ET3 is registered with the CA DMV as a 74. I looked up the Vin and it's actually a 82. Is there any pro or cons to keeping it a 74 or should I amend it to an 82? Thanks in advance for the help.

NO!

Leave it as is.

My registration says I have a '1978 VEST'.

Don't worry about it.

Agreed. Leave it alone, just make sure that your insurance papers read exactly as your registration does, or you'll find your registration revoked until it's cleared up.

Ask me how I know.

Okay thanks for the advice. Yes my insurance matches the registration.

Could someone please explain why not to change the reg? I would worry about it becoming an issue if the scoot in question were to get stolen or wrecked. I just found out my registered "1979p" is an '80, and was wondering the same thing.

I believe it had to do with cut off years for requiring signals. Anyone?

Yea, turn signals are required on all vehicles manufactured after 1974. Well about June '74.

I would not worry too much about it either. If it gets stolen it's not gonna be in one piece in the end anyway.

In California, it could be about more than just turn signals. They can pull your registration (making your bike illegal to operate) and make you start all over again with an inspection or VIN verification at the CHP, and you may be required to re-install any parts like turn signals to pass the VIN inspection. That whole inspection process can take weeks, depending on how booked up the inspecting agency is. Not all CHP offices do them anymore.

Then you'll have the pleasure of making trips to the DMV to sort it all out again.

It's not worth the hassle.

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Add to that the restrictions that CA put on two strokes in ~'81

So if you have a later bike it must be registered in another state first, and have 7500 miles put on it before being sold into california. Yours may have or may not have but if you try and change the year on the reg then you will be asked.

There is nothing on the bike that indicates the year and year is not used to identify the bike to the DMV.

That is the job of Make and VIN.

If it was stolen and ever recovered it would be based on the VIN. It's not like the officer would say "Well you reported a '74 ET3 with VIN XXX. This bike has the same vin but it's clearly an '82 ET3. Sorry, this is not your bike, have a nice day."

As far as the owner knows it's a 1974! and the only thing that may say otherwise is teh interwebs. Not really a reliable source ;)

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Well, in this case the OP may have bought a bike that was registered incorrectly by someone else, and if he tries to register it as an '82 in California, and it has less than 7,500 miles, his registration will be pulled and he will have a bike he can no longer ride in CA. His only option will be to sell it to someone living outside of California.

This isn't legal advice, the OP asked for the pros and the cons. We're just answering his question, it's up to him what he decides to do.

next week on the people's court......

courtney says bill stole her mobile home, bill states that "all the tires are flat!" and he "would totally never steal that piece 'o #$%@"

that's next week!

Uh oh, fifteen minutes to Wapner. Of course I don't have my underwear. I'm definitely not wearing my underwear. ...

LOL! The vespa was registered in Utah as a 74 and has over 14k km on it. I had to have an inspection but I took it to AAA and they did the inspection for me and handed me the plates.

another pro to not changing it, is it's old enough (in most states) to be an antique. some states don't require a regular inspection on antiques.